Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - The most rigorous study ever conducted on acupuncture says that acupuncture can relieve pain.
Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center found that acupuncture does, indeed, work for treating three chronic pain conditions: back and neck and shoulder pain, as well as osteoarthritis and migraines.
Even “placebo” acupuncture, in which the practitioner only pretends to place the needle or places the needle in a random spot, is effective at relieving pain, although true acupuncture works better.
The researchers do not advocate for replacing mainstream pain management with acupuncture, but instead stress that it should be used in conjunction with other therapies.